Featured Illustrator, part 4: books by Ted and Betsy Lewin

Our featured illustrator for August is one of my all-time favorites, Ted Lewin! Part 1 introduces Ted Lewin as well as my must-read books that I share every year with my students. Part 2 highlights book that he illustrated for various authors. Part 3 featured books both written and illustrated by him, while this final post will share books that are a collaboration with his wife, Betsy Lewin.

Adventures around the World Series

The Adventures around the World series is a collection of books by both Ted & Betsy Lewin that combine travelogue with both their unique illustration styles.

Gorilla Walk (1999) by Ted and Betsy Lewin. Gorilla walk details the Lewin's trek through Uganda to see the mountain gorillas in the wild. Access is tightly controlled, and the detailed description and illustrations really gives you the experience of taking the trip along with them. This first collaborative book paved the way for the rest of the books that follow.

Elephant Quest (2000) by Ted and Betsy Lewin. This book follows a trip to the Okavango Delta region of Botswana with a focus on their encounters with the wildlife.

Top to Bottom Down Under (2005) by Ted and Betsy Lewin. Traveling to Australia, the Lewins again experience many mysterious (and a few frightening!) creatures.

Horse Song: the Naadam of Mongolia (2008) by Ted & Betsy Lewin. In this story, Ted and Betsy travel to Mongolia to learn about the culture and witness the horse races. In their conference presentation back in 2010, Betsy confirmed that the results of the race match what happened in real life, no artistic license was used. Unlike the other books in this series, this one has a much stronger focus on the people than the wildlife.

Balarama a Royal Elephant (2009) by Ted and Betsy Lewin. This touching nonfiction book details the authors visits to India and their interactions with the royal elephants culminating in a giant parade and Mysore Dasara celebration. The back matter includes facts about elephants in general and the royal elephants individually, as well as a glossary and pronunciation guide.

Puffling Patrol (2012) by Ted and Betsy Lewin. This is the book that the Lewins were working on when I heard them speak. They had traveled to the island of Heimaey off the coast of Iceland to experience the annual "Puffling Patrol" when children help rescue misguided, fledgling puffins. (Really, is there anything cuter than a puffin?) Backmatter includes information about the puffins, the volcanic eruption of 1973 on Heimaey, the dire situation of puffins today, and a glossary and Icelanic pronunciation guide.

Memoir

How to Babysit a Leopard and Other True Stories from our Travels across Six Continents (2014) by Ted and Betsy Lewin. This memoir-travel journal contains a wealth of small stories and big moments in the travels of the Lewins. Each page is a bit like a scrapbook, containing photographs, memorabilia, and illustrations by both artists. Sections are organized geographically beginning in Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, South America, and the US. This is a wonderful resource to get even more behind-the-scenes details about the trips and activities depicted in their books, but this is clearly a book geared towards an adult audience.

Click here or the featured illustrator tag to see all the posts in the featured illustrator series.

Featured Illustrator, part 3: books written and illustrated by Ted Lewin

Our featured illustrator for August is one of my all-time favorites, Ted Lewin! Part 1 introduces Ted Lewin as well as my must-read books that I share every year with my students. Part 2 highlights book that he illustrated for various authors. This post features books both written and illustrated by him, while Part 4 will share books that are a collaboration with his wife, Betsy Lewin.

Books about People Written and Illustrated by Ted Lewin

After illustrating books for others for many years, Ted Lewin eventually branched out into writing and illustrating his own stories. Many of these stories are based on his extensive travels, some of which can be linked to trips he did initially for books written by others.

Sacred River: the Ganges of India (1995) by Ted Lewin. This incredibly-illustrated book tells about the importance of the Ganges River and highlights the interactions of individuals with the river during the course of a day. The story concludes with details about Hindu cremation and scattering in the river.

Market! (1996) by Ted Lewin. This book features six different markets from around the world. Each market is given a few two-page spreads depicting the sights, sounds, and colors, along with a brief description of the market itself and the goods sold there.

Storytellers (1998) by Ted Lewin. This book is set in Morocco and follows a young boy and his grandfather on their walk through the city to where the grandfather will perform as a storyteller. Here though, the story focuses on the two of them and not on the tale-to-be told. Incredibly detailed illustrations bring this country and its people to life.

Nilo and the Tortoise (1999) by Ted Lewin. Set in an island in the Galapagos, Ted Lewin took some of his own experiences during his Galapagos visit and transposed them into a young boy, Nilo, who is briefly stranded when his father's boat breaks down on the way to pick him back up. Much of the story focuses in on his encounters with the incredibly varied wildlife on the island.

How Much? Visiting Markets around the World (2006) by Ted Lewin. This collection of comparative illustrations features several markets from different countries and continents (different than those featured in Market!).

Books about Animals

Stable (2010) by Ted Lewin. This story is more a reflection on the role of horses in the past and present, told through the lens of the modern Kensington Stables, the last remaining stable in Brooklyn. Some of the illustrations are reminiscent of those in Peppe the Lamplighter and Pennies in a Jar, which makes me think that Ted Lewin spent some time at these stables as study for those books as well.

This series of four "I Like to Read" beginning reader books were published by Holiday House as part of a series with many other authors and illustrators, including Betsy Lewin.

Look! (2013) by Ted Lewin. In the predictable text of this story each page contains the sentence, "Look!" followed by an animal and an action verb. This African savannah tour ends with the same pattern repeated for a young child connecting to the story.

What Am I? Where Am I? (2013) by Ted Lewin. Here, the two title questions serve as the structure for the book. A small circular illustration shows a part of the animal ("What am I?") while a page turn shows the full animal ("Where am I?") and another page turn shows their natural habitat. Some of the animal portraits have particularly endearing expressions.

Animals Work (2014) by Ted Lewin. This book is structured around the work that animals do, connecting animals to each other (three pages in a row, for example, of animals who carry). The story comes back again to Ted as a little boy at the end, caring for his cat. A map of where the animals live is also included.

Can You See Me? (2014) by Ted Lewin. The first half or so of the book features closeups of different rain forest animals followed by the "Can You See Me?" question. The end offers a little variation in the sentences and ends with a wide view of the rain forest. (I'm sure the biggest complaint about this book is the fact that it is not a hide-and-seek kind of book as the animals are not hidden in the wide views like you might expect.)

Memoir

I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler (1993) by Ted Lewin. This memoir of Ted Lewin's teenage and young adult years is amply illustrated with family photographs, including many of his wrestling career and unusual pets, like a lion. Near the end of the story, illustrations and paintings join the photographs as Ted's art career springs to life. A fascinating look at the improbable story of an incredible artist.

Tooth and Claw: animal adventures in the wild (2003) by Ted Lewin. This collection of memoirs focuses around different animal-related adventures Ted Lewin has had in his adult life. Each chapter shares a different story with illustrations, photographs, and ephemera, and an author's note afterwards provides details about the location, as well as additional facts about the animals.

Click here or the featured illustrator tag to see all the posts in the featured illustrator series.

Featured Illustrator, part 2: books illustrated by Ted Lewin

Our featured illustrator for August is one of my all-time favorites, Ted Lewin! Part 1 introduces Ted Lewin as well as my must-read books that I share every year with my students. This post will highlight book that he illustrated for various authors. Part 3 will feature books both written and illustrated by him, while Part 4 shares books that are a collaboration with his wife, Betsy Lewin.

Books Illustrated by Ted Lewin

In addition to the books I already mentioned in Part 1 about Ted Lewin, there are many books written by others that he has illustrated. Here is a brief description of some of these wonderful stories.

Pennies in a Jar (2007) by Dori Chaconas and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This homefront story during WWI is narrated by a young boy whose father has recently left to fight in the war. The boy is nervous about a lot of things, but especially the various street horses who work in and around his neighborhood. While saving pennies for a special birthday gift for his Dad, the boy finds a solution to more problems than just that one.

Island of the Blue Dolphins (1990 reissue) by Scott O'Dell featuring illustrations by Ted Lewin. Until putting together this series, I had no idea that there was an edition of this book illustrated by Ted Lewin. My greatest disappointment, however, was that the illustrations are reproduced in black and white, and that the title image is the only one in full color. It seems like a waste with such luminous artwork.

The World's Greatest Elephant (2006) by Ralph Helfer and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This remarkable true story tells a tale of friendship, loss, and despair between a young German boy and an elephant born on the same day. This is another book that deserves an author's note because this nearly-unbelievable story is actually true, but the truth is only hinted at in the author's biography. (You can read the full story in Modoc - The True Story of the World's Greatest Elephant also by Ralph Helfer.)

The World's Greatest Lion: a true story of survival (2012) by Ralph Helfer and illustrated by Ted Lewin. In this second collaboration, the true nature of the story is a little more obvious, as Ralph himself appears in the book. Zamba, the titular lion, is rescued by humans after his parents are killed. He eventually becomes trained and stars in several movies and shows. But it seems nature still has one more challenge in store...

The Longest Night (2009) by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This story of the end of winter and beginning of spring reads like a lyrical folktale. With the sun long gone the animals debate among themselves about who can bring it back. Lewin's artwork ranges from a variety of close-up to larger scene shots, featuring each animal and its efforts.

Click here or the featured illustrator tag to see all the posts in the featured illustrator series.

Featured Illustrator: Ted Lewin

Back in May I launched a featured illustrator series to highlight the amazing books and contributions of some of my favorite children's book illustrators. Illustrators featured so far include Sean Qualls and Meilo So. I am very excited to share my next featured illustrator, and possibly one of my favorite illustrators of all time ... Ted Lewin!

About Featured Illustrator Ted Lewin

My students learn very quickly to recognize the name Ted Lewin. Several of his books have become staples of my classroom, starting right from the first week of school with One Green Apple. His artwork is immediately recognizable for his incredibly life-like use of watercolors. "Like photographs, only better" is how one of my students described his style. He won a Caldecott Honor in 1994 for Peppe the Lamplighter.

I was thrilled to hear Ted and his wife Betsy speak back in 2010 at the International Children's and Young Adult Literature Celebration. With only minimal maneuvering on my part I was even able to join their table during lunch! Ted Lewin is a consummate storyteller, and he kept our table enthralled with tales of their recent trip up north to see the puffins (eventually published as Puffling Patrol). At this point in their careers, he explained, they simply tell the publishers where they want to go, their publisher sends them, and they figure out their books and stories from there!

My favorite quote from his & Betsy's presentation was that "you don't go in a straight line to your dreams." Betsy started work in the greeting card industry, while Ted was a teenage professional wrestler (per the title of his memoir). After they each broke into the picture book industry, it was still many years before they started writing and collaborating on stories. Much of the writing and ideas come from Ted's writing journals, while Betsy keeps up with the names and specific details.

There are a variety of resources on Ted Lewin's own web site. The video link has some great interviews and excerpts with him and his wife, Betsy.

My Must-Read Ted Lewin Titles

These are the books that I read to my classes year after year. Our Social Studies curriculum is built around world geography and world cultures, so there are many Ted Lewin books that are an excellent fit. Stay tuned for future posts in his featured illustrator series.

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This 'second day of school' book is one that I always share during the first week of school. Farah's story of being in a new school and a new country is one that resonates as we begin to establish our own class community. Students immediately grab onto the symbolism of her "different" apple becoming a part of the blended cider. This is a book we return to again and again as we learn about new people and new cultures and as well think about how to be a welcoming and inclusive community ourselves. (You can also read an entire post dedicated to One Green Apple and thoughts on theme.)

The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland, illustrated by Ted Lewin. This powerful story follows a day in the life of Ahmed as he works his rounds delivering butane gas by donkey cart in modern Cairo, Egypt. He is a thoughtful, interesting narrator and makes unique observations about the world around him and his place in it, even connecting back to Egypt's ancient history. (Skip the next paragraph if you do not want to know the ending.)

When he reveals his secret at the end (*spoiler alert* that he can write his own name in Arabic), students must suddenly face some of the realities of child labor and poverty. I always end this read aloud with a discussion of why writing is powerful and what it represents for Ahmed, and student often offer many insightful ideas and realizations. Everyone then gets their own chance to write their name in Arabic as well, and I often find students still using Arabic to sign assignments even weeks later. (I use Firdaous for help with the Arabic. There are often minor mismatches with vowels, but it is a decent approximation for most names.)

Ali, Child of the Desert (1997) by Jonathan London and illustrated by Ted Lewin. This coming-of-age story features young Ali who is thrilled to accompany his father across the Sahara Desert for the first time. When a sandstorm strikes, however, he learns just how dangerous the desert can be - if not for the help of strangers. (I was saddened to learn that this book is now out-of-print, but it is well worth searching for at your library.)

Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone and illustrated by Ted Lewin (Caldecott Honor book). I love this book. The illustrations will take your breath away, with Ted Lewin's masterful paintings. Living in turn-of-the-century New York, Peppe finds himself needing to get a job to help his ailing father and his many, many sisters. But Peppe's father is a proud man and becomes angry at his son. This father-son confrontation always prompts deep discussion and conversation. In the end, everyone realizes how important the job of lightlamper can be. I read this book in connection with our unit on Ellis Island and American immigration.

Lost City: the discovery of Machu Picchu (2003) by Ted Lewin. This book tells the true story of Hiram Bingham's efforts to find the lost Inca city of Vilcapampa in 1911 but instead being introduced to Machu Picchu. What I appreciate about this "discovery" story is the credit given to locals and local knowledge, and it's a great book for helping kids discuss the idea of "discovering" something some one already knows about.

Click here or the featured illustrator tag to see all the posts in the featured illustrator series.

Featured Illustrator: Sean Qualls

As I near the end of my first school year blogging here at The Logonauts, I have come to realize that illustrators are incredibly powerful people. I have always paid attention to authors, found favorites, and sought out new books by them, but over the past year I have been surprised at how I sometimes have overlooked the illustrators.

In an effort to remedy that (and as a sure-fire way to find amazing books I may have overlooked), I have decided to start a monthly feature focusing on the books and work of a particular illustrator. For May I have been reading and enjoying the work of illustrator Sean Qualls. (Read part 2 in this series here.)

Introducing Sean Qualls 

Sean Qualls first appeared on my radar a few months back when I won a copy of Emmanuel's Dream (read more about the book in this post). This powerful true story comes to life through the powerful painting and distinct style of the illustrations.

Sean Qualls has illustrated many children's books in the 10 years since his first book, Baby on the Way, was published. He has illustrated books on a wide range of topics, many of which feature diverse characters, both fictional and biographical. His art is a combination of painting and collage, and he often collages different paintings and pieces together to create a dimensional look.

Some of my favorite stories illustrated by Sean Qualls are presented below. Part 2 in this series will cover some of his many picture book biographies.

Want to know more? Read a 2008 interview with Sean Qualls over at The Brown Bookshelf or a recent Q&A from Publisher's Weekly with both Sean Qualls and his wife Selina Alko. Or, you can follow Sean Qualls on Facebook for news and updates.

Stories and Traditional Tales illustrated by Sean Qualls

Stories

The Baby on the Way (2005) by Karen English. This book is Sean Qualls's first picture book for children, and it is a tender story of a grandmother and grandson. The grandmother relates the story of her own birth, and the illustrations alternate between the present day and the events being narrated in the story. The story concludes as a bit of a circular story, as the boy asks about his own birth story and the grandmother prepares to tell it. Be prepared when sharing this book to immediately follow it up with your own telling of your listener's birth story.

Who Will I Be, Lord? (2009) by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. This family-history story begins with the narrator's great-grandpap who was a mailman and played banjo and her great-grandma who was white and a housewife. The story continues with the refrain of the young narrator asking "And who will I be, Lord? What will I be?" as she describes different members of her family. It's an interesting book and concept, but I think the Lord references might make it a hard one to use in schools.

Songs and Traditional Tales

Lullaby (for a Black Mother) is a poem by Langston Hughes published as a picture book in 2013 illustrated by Sean Qualls. The illustrations are a wonderful enchanting combination of realistic and imaginative, including scenes of the mother and child getting ready for bed but also scenes of pure abstraction and joy. The end notes about the poet even include a photograph of him as a young baby with his mother. A precious book for any new mother.

Little Cloud and Lady Wind (2010) by Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison and illustrated by Sean Qualls. This folktale-like original story has its roots in Aesop's fable about a competition between the sun and the wind. Here, Little Cloud does not want to join the other clouds in terrorizing the people of earth, but it is only through the intervention of Lady Wind does she learn the other powers of being a cloud. The muted palette of blues and grays works wonderfully here to convey the world and feelings of our shy main character.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series, covering some of the many inspiring picture book biographies illustrated by Sean Qualls.